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History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s2.t3: § 13. Prince Bidar Bakht as governor of Malwa, 1704—1706.

History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s2.t3

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§ 13. Prince Bidar Bakht as governor of Malwa, 1704—1706.

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Nawazish Khan was at once dismissed from the faujdari of Mandu (Jan. 1704), and sent to Khandesh. A month later he was reinstated, but Dhar was taken away from his charge, and in August Mandu also. [Akh. 3 Feb., 28 Mar., 8 Aug. 1704.] Abu Nasar was judged too weak to hold a province like Malwa. The danger from which Malwa had just escaped, through Firuz Jang's courage and activity, brought home to Aurangzib's mind the gravity of the situation. He felt that a subahdar of the highest rank and armed strength must be posted in Central India if the Maratha peril was to be kept out of Northern

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If you wish to remain in my service, then, now that Firuz Jang, after defeating Nima near Sironj, is chasing him and the latter is fleeing towards Bundelkhand and Garha [Mandla], you should issue forth, take the militia, assemble the faujdars and the captains posted there, and attack expel slay and bind the scattered bands of the enemy roving without leaders and the rebel Afghans,—who, seeing the field empty [of imperial troops], are molesting the peasantry. Send Nawazish Khan to Burhanpur. Take Mandu as your own jagir and entrust Dhar to the [new] qiladar appointed."

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Nawazish Khan was addressed thus, "At the request of Nusrat Jang (the imperial Paymaster), you have been retained in service, but you have not been your own self. What do you mean by vacating Mandu and hiding your self in Dhar? Come to Burhanpur and serve under Bidar Bakht. I shall give you jagirs in the Deccan or an annual stipend of Rs. 20,000." [Kalimat T. f. 44a—45a.]

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India. Prince Bidar Bakht, a brave and skilful general, then acting as governor of Aurangabad and Khandesh, was appointed viceroy of Malwa in addition to Khandesh, on 3rd August, 1704. A year later his task was lightened by withdrawing Khandesh from his charge. He continued to govern Malwa till March 1706, when he received urgent orders to go to Gujrat and take charge of its defence, as that province had been exposed to Maratha attack by reason of his father's journey from it to the Emperor's side and the delay in the arrival of his successor. Khan-i-Alam was appointed subahdar of Malwa vice the prince, in April 1706. [M.A. 483, 496, 498, 512; Akhbarat, 3 Aug. 1704.]

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A large number of letters written by Aurangzib to Bidar Bakht during his nineteen months' government of Malwa have been preserved. They cover folios 27 to 116 in Inayetullah's *Ahkam* (Rampur MS.) The prince's favourite lieutenant was the young gallant Jai Singh,* the new Rajah of Jaipur, who had gained his good opinion by his conspicuous services when both of them were posted together outside the Konkani gate of Khelna in April 1702, and also later as his subordinate in Khandesh (1703-4.) When the prince was about to march from Malwa to Khandesh he proposed to leave Jai Singh there as his deputy governor; but Aurangzib vetoed the proposal, as he had made a rule that no Rajput should be appointed subahdar or even faujdar. [Inayet, 68a, 72b.]* Khan-i-Alam was appointed deputy governor and became full subahdar in 1706, when the prince was transferred to Gujrat. [M.A. 512.]

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∗ In 1704 Bidar Bakht recommended Jai Singh for the grant of kettledrums and the parganahs of Chatsu, Deosa, Muizzabad and Rewari, on condition of his keeping a strong contingent. But the Emperor demurred to it on the ground of the Rajah being too young and dependent on others.

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§ 14. Effect of disturbances on the condition of the country.

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In October 1704, Nima Sindhia was reported to be again advancing towards Malwa, and Bidar Bakht was warned to be ready for the danger. [Akh. 20 Oct.] In February 1700 Nasiri Afghan was out with 2000 followers. In this year and the next Gopal Singh Chandawat's rebellion disturbed some parts of the province. [Akhbarat.] Another rebel was Gopal Chaudhuri of Sironj. [Ch. 59 § 6.] Nawazish Khan, faujdar of Mandu from about 1700 to 1704, had to wage many small campaigns against local rebels and Maratha bands from beyond the Narmada, as we learn from his letter-book.† Abbas Afghan was reported as raiding the highways and stopping the mails. Umar (another Pathan) broke out of his prison in Sholapur and reached Kotri Paraya to take to plundering again. [*Akh.* 5 July 1699.]

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∗ Jai Singh was further ordered to hold office sitting on a cloth (suzani) spread on the ground and not on an elevated pillow (gadi.)

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† A MS. of this work was purchased by me in Lahor in 1914. No other copy of it is known to exist.

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In fact, the local disturbers of peace in Malwa in the closing years of the reign were too many to be counted. An official report states, "Marathas, Bundelas, and Afghans out of employment are creating disturbances in the province" (1704.) And, again, "It has been repeatedly reported to the Emperor that from Burhanpur to Sironj by way of Handia and up to Ujjain by the Akbarpur route, the infidels have desolated the villages and very little habitation is now left." The result is summed up in Aurangzib's own words: "The province of Khandesh has been totally desolated......Malwa too is ruined." [*Inayet*, 15a, 61a.]

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